Improved bottle-stopper



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

VILLIAM A. SHAW, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

HVIPROVED BOTTLE-STOPPER.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 33,9641, dated December 17, 1861.

To all whom, t may concern:

Beit known that I, WM. A. SHAW, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improved Stopper for Bottles, Decanters, and Similar Articles, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which-- Figure l is a perspective view of the stopper; Fig. 2, a section through abottle having the stopper inserted; Fig. 3, a view of theinstrument by means of which it is inserted into the bottle.

My invention has for its object' to produce astopper or cork for bottles, decanters, and similar articles, to replace the ordinary perishable Stoppers of cork-wood, that shall be easily inserted into the bottle and as easily withdrawn therefrom without the necessity of employing a corkscrew or otherinstrument, that shall be capable of being employed again and again an indeiinite number of times, and that shall close the bottle perfectly tight and prevent the escape of gas from within the bottle,u and at the same time shall not be thrown out by any pressure exerted by the gas within the bottle. These are the characteristics of a perfect bottle-stopper, and they are all attained by my present invention, which consists of a hollow stopper of elastic gum having shoulders adapted to correspond ing shoulders in the neck of the bottle, as will now be more fully described, so that pressure from within the bottle shall not drive out the stopper, but only force it more tightly against the sides of the neck.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand my invention', I will proceed to describe the manner in which I have carried it out.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents the stopper, which is made of vnlcanized rubber with an upper shoulder, a, which rests beneath a corresponding shoulder, l, in the neck of the bottle, and a lower shoulder, b,which rests upon a corresponding shoulder, 2, in the bottle. The stopper is made hollow, as seen in Fig. 2, and at its bottom end has a solid portion, f, which fits tightly iu the neck of the bottle beneath the shoulder 2. The top of the stopper, or that portion which projects from the mouth of the bottle, is Haring, as at g, to faeilitateits withdrawal from the bottle by hand. When the stopper is to be inserted in the bottle, itis first to be moistened by dipping itinto water. An instrument, D, Fig. 3, made of wood, metal, or other suitable material is then in serted into the hole C, Fig. 2, in the stopper, which is placed over the mouth of the bottle, and on pressure being applied to the handle h of the instrument D the stopper is so elongated. and consequently reduced-in diameter that it enters the bottle freely. Onwithdrawing the instrument D, however, the stopper again expands and fills the neck of the bottle, as seen in Fig. 2 and when by the eX- pansion of the gases within the bottle pressu re is applied to the lower end of the stopper, its body at '11 is forced more tightly against the neck of the bottle, and the shoulder a is pressed more firmly up beneath the shoulder 1, so that the stopper is perfectly air-tight under all circumstances.

To withdraw the stopper it is simply necessary to pull the portion g by the hand, by which the body is elongated, and is easily withdrawn through the mouth of the bottle.

a are depressions in the rubber near the lower end for the purpose of making the cork more flexible at this point, that it maybe more readily elongated when the cork is inserted, and to facilitate the packing of the joint around the stopper when pressure is applied to its lower end by the expansion of gas within the bottle.

Among the advantages which this stopper offers over all those-heretofore employed may be enumerated thefollowing: First, it is perfectly impervious to air and will not suffer the smallest escape' of gas; second, it may be drawn and used again and again an indefinite number of times; third, it may be quickly inserted'by hand, the mallet and breaker which are necessary where the ordinary cork-wood stopper is employed being dispensed with; fourth, it may be easily withdrawnby hand without the use of corkscrew or other instrunient, and without the necessity of perforating or otherwise injuring it; fth, as the stopper becomes only the more rm in its place when' pressure is applied to its bottom end, neither wire nor strings are required to enable it to resist a pressure within; sixth, as the material of whichit is madeis itself impervious to air, the wax at times required to seal an ordinary cork is dispensed with. These characteristics render it far more economical than the ordinary cork-wood stopper, and it is particularly applicable to those bottles used to contain soda and mineral waters, ale, and cider,which require to be frequently'relled, and in which the cork must be held in place against the pressure of expansive gas within the bottle, as the expense of frequently replacing the corks is saved, as well as that of the wires or strings required where Stoppers of cork-wood are used.

It is obvious that my improved stopper is applicable to other articles besides bottles and dccanters-such as jugs, jars, preserving-cans, &c.-it being necessary simply to form the mouth of the article to suit the cork and make the latter of suitable proportions to resist the pressure within without being thrown out. It is also evident that the exterior form of the cork :may be Varied without departing from my invention so long as it be rnade hollow to permit of its being elongated, and be so enlarged at its body or central portion that it'shall not be thrown from the bottle by pressure from within the bottle.

What l claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A hollow elastic stopper, operating in the manner substantially herein described.

WILLIAM A. SHAW.

Witnesses:

THos. R. RoAoH, DANIEL DoLAND. 

